Why are so many Christians falling for false teachings in today’s churches?

One question that has entered my mind very often is why are so many Christians falling for false doctrine in today’s church? Many times I have sat in churches listening to distorted messages coming from the pulpit and have never returned. However, what I found more disturbing was watching Christians blindly following false doctrines and being easily deceived by people claiming to be servants of God.

Everywhere you look, the Word of God is being continually distorted and false teachings have infiltrated our churches so much that it has divided the body of Christ. Many Christians that have fallen for the lies and were misled are leaving the church confused, discouraged, and betrayed not knowing who or what to believe anymore.

Why are people falling for these false teachings? Because they are not reading or understanding their Bibles! When it comes to knowing our Bible, not many know what is in the Bible or have a clear understanding of what it is saying. One reason may be because there are too many interpretations and arguments about what the Word of God says. Another reason may be that we put too much trust on who is delivering the message without reading it for ourselves.

I do not mean reading it here and there and when you do not understand a passage, you move on instead of meditating on the Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to be your teacher. I mean reading the Bible from cover to cover and understand what it says.

We rely on our pastors and spiritual leaders to “feed” us the Word, and trust them blindly to do so but in reality, many have a different agenda and God is not in it, so people are being deceived. That is why it is important to read and study the Holy Scriptures, to understand the Word of God and keep it stored in your heart so that you would not be deceived. You will then be able to discern if what is coming out their mouths is in alignment with God’s Word, if it is not, then it is false teaching. Do not just rely on what your spiritual leaders or anyone (including myself) is telling you, read it for yourselves.

In talking to people here and there, I realize that many people are in the same position; they have not read their Bibles cover to cover. Some have been born again Christians for many years yet they have not read their Bibles entirely. If you do not read the Word of God you will not know God. You will also lack the knowledge of the Word and become vulnerable to the lies being preached today. But most importantly you will lack the close relationship with Him that He so greatly desires.

How do you develop a close relationship with God? You develop a close relationship with God as you would with your husband, wife, child, mother, father, brother, sister or any loved one. You develop a bond with them, talk to them every day, confide in them, trust in them, are loyal to them, take comfort in them, and learn their nature. In the same way you bond with God and you will know His nature and will for mankind.

I remember being in that same position a while back. I did not read the Bible in context; I read the Bible in verses and was lead by the mood I was in. If I felt rejected and lonely, I would search the Psalms. If I felt that I needed wisdom or guidance, I would read Proverbs and so forth. You can say that I’ve read the Bible by verse like many people. I would pick a few favorite verses to help me through whatever I was going through and memorized them, and then would recite them whenever I felt I needed them. If you’d ask me specific questions about the Bible, sometimes I could not quite answer them because I had not read the Bible in its entirety.

Now I know what is in the Bible, mind you I still have to go back and re-look for certain answers only because the human mind can only store so much information. But now that I know what is in the Bible and understand it, I know for certain when something I’m hearing is not from God. Even if my memory fails, my spirit knows.

So what happens when you do not know the Word of God? As I said earlier, you become easily deceived. Since the majority of Christians trust and love their spiritual leaders many become “indoctrinated” and follow blindly without questioning the validity of their teachings. We must be like the Bereans who searched the scriptures daily for the truth (Acts 17:11).

Many Christians assume because their spiritual leaders went to Bible College, have a theology degree, and are ordained they are delivering the truth when in fact many are not. Christians are lacking discernment and do not test the spirits as the Word of God tells us to do (1 John 4:1-3) because a false teacher will never teach them to search for the truth for themselves.

Earlier in my walk with Christ, I also fell for many of the lies being taught today. However, as I began to question what I was hearing from my spiritual leaders and poured myself into the scriptures, I became painfully aware that I was being deceived. I remember asking myself, “Why would so many people fall for the false teachings of some of these spiritual leaders (me included), and why are there so many of these false teachers in our churches today going undetected?”

In search for this answer, I came across a very interesting article where the writer describes the similarity between poison, lies and false teachers. The writer, which I cannot recall the name or the website, used the following analogy. He describes that in the movies, in order to poison someone, the killer would not give the victim poison straight out, that would be too obvious and easily detected by the investigating authorities. Instead, the killer would introduce a bit of the poison with a good tasting drink like juice, that way it went undetected by the victim and was un-traceable.

In the same way, lies are introduced into the church. To introduce false teachings straight out into the message would be too obvious. The false teacher would instead mix a bit of the lies together with the truth of God’s words to make it un-detectable. They already have your love and trust, the rest is easy.

I thought back trying to remember when I first began to realize I was being deceived and it began when I felt it in my spirit that something was very wrong… it is called discernment, as I mentioned earlier. If we have the Holy Spirit in us, who is our teacher and our guide, we also have this gift. Merriam-Webster describes discernment as “a power to see what is not evident to the average mind.” That’s when I made the decision to open my Bible, not just to read by verses but in context, to learn it, to understand it, and to study it.

As the Lord lifted the veil from my eyes that was blinding me, I remember feeling angry and frustrated because many of the wrong things being taught became very clear. In horror I realized that God’s sheep were being led astray and straight into hell if they did not turn themselves around; hell is not just for the unsaved but for everyone who rejects truth.

There’s no excuse for this lack of knowledge. It is not like we did not know, Jesus warned us about this in Luke 21:8. Let me give you just a few examples of things that should send up a red flag when you hear them:

Is the term “give a financial seed” scriptural?

How often have you heard a preacher or spiritual leader say “Give a financial seed?” In the Bible, the word “seed” refers to the agricultural seed as in “seed-bearing plants” during the creation of the world, as found in the book of Genesis and contained within the other books of the Bible. The word “seed” also refers to the Word of God; it refers to faith, as mentioned in the books of Matthew, Luke, John, and other books of the Bible. And, it refers to a spiritual seed (1 Cor 9:11). You will only find the words “financial seed” in the distorted teachings of merchant preachers or prosperity teachers, NOT the Bible.

Can you lose your salvation?

How about this? Have you been told that “You can lose your salvation?” First hand, let me say that saying a prayer does not save you, for by grace we are saved through faith and not by uttering a prayer or by any righteous deeds.

Now back to losing your salvation. The Bible tells us "For many are invited, but few are chosen" (Mat 22:14), and if we were predestined and chosen by grace (Eph 1:4-6), the foreordained, called, justified and glorified through Jesus (Rom 8:29-30), we will have our names written in the Lambs' Book of Life (Rev 21:27) and will enter Gods’ Holy City-- the New Jerusalem. However, we were given free will and we can choose to turn from or fall away from God.

Then when we sin and turn our backs on God, do we lose our salvation? Being saved does not mean that you will not make mistakes; we all stumble many times but we should also learn from our mistakes and not make them again.

No born again Christian wants to sin once they truly accept the Lord Jesus into their lives, but because of our sinful nature we do. If you do commit a sin against God or against man and repent from the heart for what you did wrong, God is a loving and merciful Father, and because of what Jesus did on the cross for humanity, He will forgive you your sins and forget them (Ps 103:11-13). On the other hand, if you declare with your mouth that you believe in Jesus but continue in the things of the flesh, then I would question your salvation because even Satan believes in Jesus.

Here’s another red flag, and the most controversial and lengthiest of my examples, only because many Christians have left the church and their faith because of this. How about the beaten worn-out sermons about tithing? The much treaded Malachi 3:8-10.

When it comes to tithing, I am not only making reference here to false teachers. There are many God-fearing and God-loving preachers that teach about tithing, and I have also come to question why do they teach this. I have come to the conclusion this is the way they were taught by their mentors, their own pastors, and even in theology school. I understand they have to maintain the church and pay bills; however, the old tithing law of the Old Covenant should not be used. The tithing law is not scriptural under the New Covenant.

This teaching has created many problems in churches today. Many Christians, who are already struggling, are placed under a large financial burden when they are asked to tithe, give offerings, supply the food pantry, provide back-to-school supplies for children, donate to repair the roof, the A/C, or any other cause. If they are not able to tithe and contribute financially, they leave the church feeling guilty and condemned.

Then there are many unscrupulous preachers out there that use the old law of tithing for their own gain. These predators pray on the vulnerable, the ignorant, and weak, and their methods of coercion is frightening. They like to play with people's minds and plant guilt and fear in their followers by telling them that they are ”under the blessing” if they tithe and if they do not, they “are robbing God” and are under a “curse.”

I’m not saying not to support your church or any of the good causes for the community. If you give, do it joyfully and without condemnation, because the Bible says about giving (not tithing) “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). If it is in your heart to give then give, but do not allow anyone to plant guilt in you if you do not.

Many of these preachers in their defense will quote 1 Corinthians 9:9 but if you read the whole chapter in context and not just the verse, you will find that Paul was talking about eating and drinking, taking on a wife, and forgo working for a living— not tithing.

I agree that the church can ask for contributions, donations and offerings to run the church and compensate the pastors for teaching the gospel. Paul addresses the rights of an apostle in the same chapter, 1 Corinthians 9, but for the sake of preaching the Gospel and not to create a burden on the church, Paul never exercised that right. He sought after a much higher reward; he asked “What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it” (1 Cor 9:18). But coercion by misusing the Word of God should not be tolerated.

The old tithing law has permeated modern day churches. For the exception of a few, all churches teach about tithing. Many use Malachi 3 as a measure of your faith, and many use it to inflict fear and guilt on the people and coerce them to tithe. However, if you read Malachi 3, the issue is not about money. To find out who God is speaking to, you will have to read Malachi 1 and 2. Then you will find that God is rebuking the priests for their disobedience and because they were dishonoring Him by not keeping the covenant. The priests were grumbling and robbing God and offering Him blind, sick and crippled animals. God admonishes them and tells them to bring the food into the storehouse. Again, Malachi 3 is not about money.

We are no longer under the Law of Moses

So, I must warn you that this teaching places God’s children under the Mosaic Law… again (Gal 3:10), for the Jews and Gentiles alike. Paul made it clear that we are no longer under the law anymore but under grace (Rom 6:14); Jesus fulfilled all 613 laws to its entirety when He died on the cross for the sins of mankind. This does not mean that we break God's commandments and kill, bear false witness, steal, etc. Even in the New Testament, the Bible tells us that we should not do so.

It is simple to understand why the old laws were done away with, the old law was not working; people were not keeping the laws that the Lord put forth. Furthermore, the law justified mankind by works; it made them clean outwardly. In order to resolve this problem, Jesus was chosen by God the Father as the new “high priest forever” after the order of Melchizedek, no longer in the order of Aaron (the Levites) (Gen 14:18-20; Ps 110:4; Heb 5; Heb 7:1-28).

Who is this Melchizedek? Melchizedek was the high priest and the King of Salem (Jerusalem) and he stood for the new covenant established through Jesus (Read Hebrews, chapter 7). Reading about this king, only mentioned a few times in the Bible, will clear many questions about the old and new covenant and the old covenant law, which included tithing (Heb 7:11-28).

Therefore, the old covenant is no longer in effect because there was a change in priesthood, from the Levite priests to Jesus, and Hebrews 7:12 clearly stated it “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”

If God’s children continue to believe in these teachings, we are reverting to the old laws and the works of the flesh, and then we are no longer under grace and are not justified by faith. As Paul states, "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal 2:21).

The tithing arguments used are not accurate

Many Christians are beginning to challenge their spiritual leaders on this doctrine. I have seen many leaders in fear of losing their authority, credibility, and money coming in to the church, argue by telling the church things, such as:

1. Cain tithed

2. Tithing was around before the law because Abram gave a tenth to Melchizedek

3. Jacob tithed

4. Jesus approved tithing when He talked to the Pharisees and teachers of the law

First, Cain did not tithe but gave an "offering" unto the Lord of the fruit of the ground and a faithless one at that (Gen 4:3; Heb 11:4).

Second, Abram (Abraham) gave a tenth of the "spoils" of the war one time as was the custom at the time (Gen 14; Heb 7). Abram did so voluntarily, as a tribute to the high priest and King of Salem. There is no mention in the Bible that Abram tithed anywhere else in the scriptures.

If there was an omission in the Bible that Abram continued to give a tenth, it does not mean that we are to assume he did. We are not to add or take away from God's word, it is written "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar" (Prov 30:5-6). This warning is also found in Rev 22:18-20.

And this is exactly what many of our spiritual leaders are doing by teaching their churches that although it is not mentioned in the Bible that Abram continued to tithe, we have to assume he did. I think this falls under "adding" to the Word of God.

Third, Jacob made a conditional vow to (voluntarily) give God a tenth, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth" (Gen 28:20-22). This tenth was not a requirement placed on him or any of his descendants up until the “law” was given.

Lastly, Jesus was trying to make a point here and it was not about tithing. He wanted to point out that although they (the teachers of the law and the Pharisees) were giving a tenth of their spices under the “law” (because they were still under the law), they failed to practice the most important thing “justice, mercy and faithfulness.” What they did, they did not do for the love of God but for themselves to show-off and brag (Mat 23:23; Luke 11:42). They were justified by works (the law) not by faith (grace).

Jesus was still under the law when He spoke to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Once Jesus died on the cross, the Law was fulfilled (Gal 4:4-5). Once He fulfilled the Law, the debt was paid for and no longer due by God’s children. He became sin, a curse for us, and He freed us from sin and the “curse of the law.”

Now, there is one law that will combine all the laws and commandments of God and Galatians 5:13-14expresses it “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” In other words, if you have love, you would be keeping all of God’s commandments.

Heated debates have risen between those who tithe and those who do not tithe, and the ones who do not tithe have been accused of taking only certain parts of the Bible and throwing away the rest. If that is the case, the opposite is true as well. Some are conveniently taking parts of the Old Testament laws of tithing and discarding the other 612 laws to go with it.

What is important here is it does not matter what percentage you give, but with the heart that you give. God only cares about the condition of your heart when you give (faith & love), not in your outward giving (works), that is the point Jesus was trying to make when he rebuked the teachers of the law and the Pharisees.

If churches have a financial need, I feel preachers should not use the old law of tithing and try to brow beat us into submission with every tithe passage from the Old Testament, including Malachi 3:8-10. They should begin to ask for contributions, donations, gifts, or offerings and maybe people would be more willing to give because they are giving from their hearts and not from guilt or fear that God will curse them as some have suggested.

We are free from the curse of the law, free to praise and worship Him every day, free to give with no unit of measure, and free to love and adore Him in spirit and in truth because we are not bound by any religion, rule or law, and we need to thank Jesus for that freedom. If we could all go back to the ways of the early church making Disciples of Christ and helping the poor and the orphans instead of erecting buildings with all their expenses, we would probably not have much of the problems we have in churches today.

The study of the Old and New Testament is extensive and I cannot go into every detail with explanations. Furthermore, it would defeat the purpose of my intent here, which is for you to read and study the Bible on your own and get the answers, not from me or anyone else, but straight from God.

In conclusion, I pray that everyone who reads this will be inspired and encouraged to read and understand their Bibles and look more closely at what they are being taught. I know that many who will read this will not agree with some of the things I have said but I did not write this to go into a debate with anyone about tithing or any of their beliefs, but as a warning of the deception behind the teachings in many of today’s churches.

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The Unbiblical Christian TitheThe purpose of this hub is to demonstrate from scripture that the current received wisdom on the subject of tithing taught in many sections of the Church is in error. At best, these sections have a complete...

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AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

12 days agofrom Sunny Florida

Hello Randolph Harris, yes you may use this message to to spread the Word. I just ask that you do not change the wording. God bless.

Randolph Harris

2 weeks ago

I would like to have written permission to use your message from, https://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/deception... titled: "Why are so many Christians falling for false teachings in today's churches?" Your message brings to mind (http://www.endtimes-bibleprophecy.com/page33.htm) titled "Like the Days of Noah and Lot". Matthew 24:37-39 (But as in the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be..."; and in Luke 17:28-30 "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot....thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."

Since 2001, 14 countries have fully legalized homosexual marriage, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, new Zealand, Uraguay, France, with parts of North and South America doing the same. And the list is growing all the time. And yet what did God's Word say in Jude 1:7? That Sodom was set as an example to us! And what did God do to the people of Sodom? He destroyed them with Fire!

Things were so bad in Noah's day that God even repented of making mankind on earth Genesis 6:6...'And it repented the Lord that He had made man on earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.'...We cannot imagine the anguish of our loving Heavenly Father when He looked down upon the earth and saw no one (except Noah) living a Godly life. It was so bad that God said...Genesis 6:13...'The end of all flesh is come before me.'...God will only bare with people's wicked ways for so long, before Judgement comes upon them. And (YES) we are living in in a day that is exactly like the days of Noah and Lot!

I realize there must have been many others who believed in God and 'in their own eyes' served God, but just as Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 ...'Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never k new you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity'...The same would have been true for many people in Noah's day. They would profess to be God's people, but in fact they were still walking in the flesh, living a life of sin and not obeying God's commands.

All one has to do is to read and reflect on what the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17 O.T. and restated in the N.T Acts 14:15; 1 John 5:21; James 5:12; Col 2:16; Eph. 6:1; 1 John 3:15; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Eph. 4:28; Col. 3:9-10; Eph. 5:3 respectively) and see just how many commandments we brake without even knowing it. Give GOD ASLL THE GLORY, Amen!!!

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

2 weeks agofrom Sunny Florida

Randy Harris I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you for your comment and God bless you.

Randy Harris

2 weeks ago

Your article, "Why are so many Christians falling away for false teachings in today's churches?" article is a great message that needs to be released to everyone who will earnestly listen. The hard sell, with all our electronic devices, is to get all people to read scripture cover to cover like the Bereans did. In one of Dr. John Barnett's YouTube messages, he was impressed with one of his seminary professors because he taught in a way he had not heard before. His professor told him, if we were to read scripture from cover to cover once for every year God allows us to live in his world, we will have a better understand of what God is wanting us to know about Him. Interesting. What makes the difference is to read scripture in its context to give greater insight and understanding. May God bless.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

17 months agofrom Sunny Florida

Hi Charlie, thanks for the comment. Maybe you are right. Sometimes I am too gentle. Don't concern yourself with Sword, he is an Universalist with his own cultic beliefs. He compared himself to Jesus and the Apostle Paul when he tried to insult me by calling me a hypocrite among other names. Mathew 7:2 came to mind when he was judging me.

charlie

17 months agofrom From Kingdom of God living on Planet earth in between the oceans

evi- great article . My only comment is that you are too gentle with the false system of men and their men following men. Any one that teaches a tithe, rapture, that saints go to heaven or any other false doctrine of man for this age is not qualified to teach. Only those who follow Christ alone will inherit the earth and the eternal kingdom of God. the sons (male and female man) of God, brothers of Christ). No"church" system of men or their clergy can be found in the guide for this age, new testament. Jesus Christ is ALL IN THIS AGE. And the ONLY teacher that is sent (given) to us in this age WITH ALL TRUTH IS THE HOLY SPIRIT of God. We are to follow Jesus through the leading of the Holy Spirit of God, not follow any man any where. This we do by doing ALL JESUS REQUIRES OF US, NO MAN INVOLVED, the "church system of men was finished and done at the cross when the veil was rent. The church in this age is not built of inanimate materials, it is built without hands of LIVING STONES and the only leader it has is Jesus Christ, the son of God, the LORD of this age.

No scripture says come, sit and be taught by apostate men, to His disciples Jesus SAYS GO and make disciples, seeing they are filled with the Holy Spirit so they have access to ALL TRUTH, not sit and listen to men teach their beliefs.

We must encourage ALL to not believe anyone or anything that anyone wants to teach them (including me and you) unless and until the Holy Spirit of God has confirmed it to the personally as truth.

Matt 28:18-20 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

charlie

17 months agofrom From Kingdom of God living on Planet earth in between the oceans

sword-- You are not of Christ or God, you do not follow Christ but many gods and therefore are UNSTABLE IN ALL YOUR WAYS. YOU ARE AN AGENT OF THE LORD OF CONFUSION, satan is your god.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Hi geelopove,

Sorry, I do not live in NY and do not of any churches there. Maybe if one of my readers living in your area sees you comment, they can probably help you. Meanwhile, pray for guidance and pay a visit to some of the churches in your area until God leads you to the right one.

geelopove

6 years ago

hi ladies,i have been studying alot about false prophets and just say i was deceived but once i was blind but now i see. Do you guys know of any good church run by a true prophet of God that i can attend in brooklyn ny,thanks

SwordofManticorE

6 years agofrom Burlington

I am more of a Christian than you are.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

SwordofManticorE,

.... and what makes you think your beliefs are right? I wrote my hub based on Scripture. It's called good hermeneutics. As to my beliefs in "hell," do not presume to know what my beliefs are just because you misinterpreted something I wrote. You do not know my stance on the subject. Please don't start a debate in my hub comments. That's what the forums are for.

SwordofManticorE

6 years agofrom Burlington

A question for you FD, what makes you think your beliefs are right and the beliefs of others are false? As soon as you used the hell doctrin as a tool of fear, I knew that you have been just as decieved as those you believe are decieved.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

David,

Thank you for clarifying. Can you loose your salvation? I feel that many are confused about who is saved, who is not saved, and who's chosen or not chosen. Since I've already answered this in my response to Algav, I invite you to scroll up and read what I said to him/her. Maybe that will clarify what I wrote in the hub.

I am in agreement with most of the things you stated until you asked "Can salvation be lost, yes." I neither agree nor disagree here, as I explained in my comment to Algav. I guess (and I'm sure you'd agree with me) it's a matter of getting our message across to others clearly where others can understand what we are trying to convey. I find that sometimes the things of the Spirit are hard to express in words, and it's not a cut-and-dried answer.

Thank you for stopping by to read and comment.

David.

6 years ago

Hello again.

I may not have explained what I was trying to say very well, sorry, I was trying to address the belief of some, that God has chosen who He will save, I think some call it 'predestination,' making that choice from the very beginning, and so intern, God has also chosen who He will not save, and so there is nothing they can do about it - this has led to many individuals, and groups, to claim to be of those chosen people, to the exclusion of all others that may disagree with their own particular doctrine.

This always struck me as being very unjust of God, if indeed it were true, and if it were true, then Jesus should have said "For God so loved the chosen," or "For God so loved the few," or perhaps "For God so loved His Own," but never "For God so loved the World."

The truth however, is that "God so loved the World."

God has presented to each of us, those who have heard His Word, an equal opportunity to find salvation; He has chosen to save all of us, but can only save those who also choose Him.

God looks for a people who will love Him - unless we obey God, and are born again - baptized in water as an act of faith, in seeking His forgiveness (NOT CHILD CHRISTENING), and baptized with The Holy Spirit, via the laying on of hands, and always attested to with the God given gift of tongues - that the intimate relationship with God that we lost through Adam, may be renewed through baptism - "I have a baptism to be baptized with," - for us to be baptized with, the Promise of The Father. "You must be born again." "Born of the water, and of the Spirit."

Those who God has chose to save, are those who sincerely love Him, and so obey Him; those are the only people God can save, but God wishes that all would choose Him, for God so loved the World, and excluded no one in His work of salvation - that would be be better understood as rescue - we exclude ourselves.

Can salvation - rescue - be lost?

We are told that "Those who endure to the end will be saved," so it depends upon our own, faithful, loving, obedience.

We are told to "watch," and to be careful, lest anyone should mislead us, and that Satan roams around like a lion looking for someone to devour.

The false shepherds "Destroy My flock," so people are being lost to them - destroyed.

I personally believe the 'Toronto Blessing,' to be the "powerful deception sent (permitted) by God, to cause those who do not love the Truth, to believe that which is false." (I was involved with such a church for five years.)

It would be better not to have come to know God's saving grace, than to know it, only then to turn our backs on Him once again.

Can salvation be lost, yes.

We do all fall, and sin, unless it is only me, and sometimes I feel like it is only me, but it is the through and through turning against God, by continually rejecting God's Word, often replacing God's Word, with that of an individual, group, or denomination, that go under the guise of God's Name, and so can be difficult to recognize as an enemy, or threat, that is perhaps most likely to be our undoing; that and the disheartening influence of people like Prof Richard Dawkins, Sir David Attenborough, Prof Brian Cox, and alike, or indeed our own infatuation with this World, and what it may promise us.

People believing they are some how chosen for salvation, and others are not, and also believing salvation is something they already have, that cannot be lost, rather than salvation, or rescue, being something we can attain, if we will endure, is also a threat, as people drop their guard, and become blasé,` rather like the foolish virgins.

If we are saved now, and salvation cannot be lost, why worry about anything, yet alone worry, why even care at all?

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

David,

Thank you for your comment and adding to the much debated subject of "salvation." Agreed, we must not only believe, as I said even Satan believes, but we must also love and obey Him. However, we all trip once in a while don't we? We all have a tendency to disobey when the flesh gets in the way. Do we lose our love for God when we commit a sin? No, not necessarily. We disobeyed, and disobedience is sin. That's were repentance come in. When there's repentance, there's forgiveness. When there’s no repentance, the heart hardens and we can fall away from God’s grace. Only God knows where we go from there.

David.

6 years ago

For God so loved the World, that whosoever believes Him (as in loves and obeys Him, not simply believe He exists - Satan knows God, has both seen, and spoken with God, knowing God exists does not make Satan a Christian)

"Whosoever"

God seeks a people who will love and obey Him, these are the people God has chosen - who are the chosen, but those who have chosen God, chosen life.

God chooses those He will save, and those people will be those who have chosen to love Him, and so obey Him, upon hearing His Gospel.

I hope I have been clear, that God chooses (to save) those who have chosen to love and obey Him, and that can be anyone at all, they just need to first hear His Gospel, that they might then choose to follow in loving obedience.

If God chooses those He wishes to save on any other terms, then their sin, and condemnation, and loss, would be the fault of God's neglect, and God has neglected no one, for "God so loved the World," not just some of us.

God chooses those who choose Him; who are the chosen, but those who have chosen God.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Jong Kim,

Thank you for leaving a comment. True when you said that Jesus did not make an exception on tithes when He fullfiled the law.

May the Lord bless you.

jong kim

6 years ago

It is a kind of Gospel. This message will give freedom to many a

christian who is obsessed in the sense of guilt by not paying tithes

according to the words of preachers. I agree with you Jesus freed

us from the burden of keeping all the laws of Old Testament and

He did not give tithe exception. May God bless you and hope this

article may be read by many.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Trailborn,

I hear what you're saying. Stay loyal to God and don't mind what man says. Stay in that straight path with God.

God bless you!

Trailborn

6 years ago

I totally understand you. Thank you! I'm the same way, I realize that there are things that our salvation doesn't depend on, and I don't expect 100% agreement on those things. But, the nature of God...my foundation, that is VERY important and that is one thing I cannot compromise on. I have yet to find a church that is on a solid foundation.

I'm sorry for your loss of your mentor. I can imagine how you must feel. As much as I would love to find a church that was 100% solid (even or 90%) to worship with, I also understand that I am right where God wants me to be right now. I am not alone and fully am dependent on Him and there couldn't be a better place for me. :) Having suffered loneliness throughout my life to a pretty serious degree, I never feel lonely. He is teaching me so much just sitting at my kitchen table reading and talking to him as I study. Sometimes I feel like he's going too fast, because I just can't remember all of these awesome 'revelations'. ;) It's like nearly everything makes sense now. I want study and restudy everything. It's beautiful. And though I am alone in the world, I have Him always. I should be devastated (by the world's definition) I don't have a lot of good friends, my husbands working away from home a lot, nobody agrees with my desertion of the trinity doctrine (including my family who are probably praying fervently for me since they think I have deserted the faith), no one agrees with my political views in putting God first. I realize that there are so few people out there who believe God the way I do. I should be very lonely considering my situation, but I am happier than ever and excited for the future, even though it could be full of persecution.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Trailborn,

I see now what you mean. I hope I will be able to explain in words what I want to convey without discouraging or confusing you. I came to that fork in the road a few years back when I saw that no church or religion taught the Bible with accuracy or complete truth 100% of the time. You will probably not find a church like that. I haven’t.

That grieved me very deeply. I was in tears for days praying that God would reveal to me the truth. I wanted Him to tell me that what I was reading and understanding was the truth because I was reading one thing in the Bible and the churches were teaching another thing entirely different.

When I cried out to God about this, within days the Lord placed an old, retired, highly educated reverend in my path. When he answered many of my questions, I noticed he gave me the answers exactly how the Holy Spirit had revealed them to me… THAT was enough confirmation for me that this was from God.

Me, a simple person, understood the Bible the way this theologian/preacher did. Although he did not start out that way (he confessed), eventually later on in his years he received a revelation and came to realize that what he was taught and believed was wrong, just like me. He called himself a Historic Orthodox Theologian. You can go to his website and read more at http://www.godspointofview.com/about.html. He believed and taught like the early church fathers (1st Century) taught. So you can say I believe 99.8% like the historic orthodox Christians. I didn’t know in the beginning were my beliefs fit in, until I connected with this Holy Spirit-filled man.

Rev. Cripe passed away not long ago and left many in tears, including me. He became my mentor. And although there were some things I did not agree with him, I respected his views and understood they were not contingent upon salvation. You will not find anyone that will agree with you or you will agree with them 100% of the times. When others don’t want to listen, then just pray. Sometimes you can only plant a seed. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to water that seed; do you understand what I mean?

If you want to e-mail me directly, contact me through Hubpages’ e-mail and then I’ll send you my personal e-mail. I work during the day, so sometimes I can’t get to my messages until evening.

Trailborn

6 years ago

Yes, I see what you are saying. I am non-denominational, I am a born-again Christian, I am a believer, but what I was trying to get at is how you connect with other believers who have that revelation. I just want to find a church that believes the whole word of God, without misconstruing it. It's hard to find them when you don't know what they call themselves. And I suppose that they are just believers scattered among all denominations. I would call myself Unitarian but unfortunately another 'church group' has made a disgrace of that word as well. I also completely understand the "shaking the dust off your feet and moving on" as well, though that is a hard thing to accept sometimes.

I'm always trying to think back to what and how I thought before my eyes were opened, just hoping to realize what it is that will get people to have the desire in them that I have. But then I realize it was nothing that no one person said or did, it was solely the word of God working its way into my heart. Each new revelation creating a new desire for more until I was being constantly cleansed and was fully engulfed by the truth and freedom that it gives.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Trailborn,

Your second post is not showing at all on my end. Sometimes that happens here. I'll keep an eye out for it. If I get it, I'll approve it of course. If you don't see it, then it never made it to me.

I didn't understand your question about the "label." When I'm asked, I tell people I'm a born-again Christian (non-denominational). This does not mean that what I say will agree with other believers. There are many that have not been given or have received the revelation that you or I have received, but that is mainly because they have not sat down to actually study their Bible and have not allowed the Holy Spirit to show them the truth. They want to continue to believe what's coming out of the preacher's mouth without reading it for themselves.

Discernment is then used. This is when I ask myself, should I pursue this conversation with this individual or do I move on? I hope this will answer your question.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Thank you for shedding more light on this issue. I agree with everything you expressed here. I hope people are encouraged to study after reading this. I too was misinformed at one time, but I didn't stay in darkness and began reading and studying Scripture, as everyone calling themselves a Christian should.

Trailborn

6 years ago

Faithful Daughter,

I don't see my second post here, maybe it didn't get approved yet, but yes, I understand that we are children of God, but the reason I ask what you call yourself is because I find it hard to connect with other true bible believing Christians. I would love to study, serve, and pray with people who truly believe everything in the bible and love God with passion and dedicated commitment. So that is why I ask about a title/label.

Trailborn

6 years ago

FSlovenec,

Romans 11:7 What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8 as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that could not see

and ears that could not hear,

to this very day.”[a]

The bible also says 'for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened' and 'He will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth and the heavens'. The "elect" will not be the ones who are being deceived. The word "elect" means chosen.

Because I follow the Word of God (which I agree with Faithful Daughter, is not open to personal interpretation) I have been accused of being the one who is deceived. I can only speak for myself but I know that I study and converse with the LORD all day, In my free time I don't watch TV and other things, I usually gravitate toward the bible or things pertaining to learning and knowing God. The more time one spends with God, the less room there is for error. I can't speak for others who say they are close to God but still being deceived. All I know is my veil was not removed until I turned everything over to God and dedicated my days to Him. Unlike in the past, He is always on my mind, from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed at night.

I assume by "check" you are referring to the congregation using the bible to hold these pastors/leaders accountable to their teachings. The problem that I see with that (though you are correct if that is what you meant to say) is that most people haven't read much of their bible and don't know what it says. One cannot discern the message being taught them if they don't know the truth that it should be. We can't just let them check their message themselves and assume that the Holy Spirit has made sure their message is correct, because we don't know what spirit they are operating under, It may not even be the Holy Spirit. If you know your bible, you can always know if what is being taught is correct. It only takes reading (and studying for what it says-not for what you have been taught it says) your bible one time to know, when you hear teachings, even if you don't know the scripture location, you will usually know that something is in disagreement. And of course the more you know the better you will see discrepancies, such as in the tithing teachings.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

FSlovenec,

“For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.” Mt 24:24

The Bible doesn’t say “even the elect will be deceived,” it says “if that were possible.”

I’m not sure what you mean the “check is the pastor” so I cannot respond to that, and that’s fine if you want to disagree with me about tithing, I didn’t write this hub to go into arguments with anyone about their personal beliefs. I wrote it to clear distorted teachings and encourage others to read their Bibles.

What I wrote about tithing is not my “tithing interpretation,” the Bible is not up for personal interpretation. I also explained why tithing was my lengthiest of examples, so I’m not going to repeat what I already wrote or try to explain again the New Covenant and the erroneous teachings on tithing in churches. One only needs to read their Bible and understand.

I wrote this hub as I was led by the Holy Spirit. I cannot give sight to the spiritually blind, only the Holy Spirit can do that, so I will end this comment here.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Trailborn,

I'm sorry to get back to you on this so late but I didn't get an alert that you had left a comment until now.

You ask "what do you label yourself?" You label yourself as a Child of God. Is that simple. No religious labels, no man-made doctrines to follow, just you and Jesus.

There is nothing wrong with seeking truth. Be as the Bereans in Act 17:11, "they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

Don't be afraid to be a light to the world. Pray that the Holy Spirit will show you how to handle confrontations and teaching others. If they do not accept truth, then shake the dust off your feet and move on.

God bless you!

Frank Slovenec

6 years agofrom San Francisco, CA

The Bible tells us in the end times even the elect will be deceived. The check of the Pastor and the message is the Bible and the Holy Spirit. I disagree on your tithing interpretation. It is interesting you spent so much time on the tithe. Let us not major in minors. If Jesus is your Lord and Savior we are brother and sister in the Lord. It is, as you say, by Grace that we are saved.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Hi JD, I was just about to sign-off as your comment came through. You are always welcome here. Yes, HalleluYah! God bless you sister.

Judah's Daughter

6 years agofrom Roseville, CA

HalleluYah, sister! I came back to catch up - and what a blessing - always a blessing!

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Trailborn,

Thank you for stopping by my hub and expressing what's in your heart; I really appreciate your transparency. I read your words and felt as if I was reading my own thoughts, doubts, and experiences in my walk with Christ.

Once we ask God to reveal truth, and ask for knowledge and wisdom, God is very generous and is more than happy to reveal Himself. He truly does answer those who diligently seek Him.

I use many Bible study tools including Biblegateway; there's is no reason why anyone would not use these free tools to grow in Christ. Sadly, there are many that do not want to get out of their comfort zone and continue to be misled and taught erroneously. That is their own doing and that’s why they will continue to be spiritually blind. That is their choice.

I too have been asked several times as to why I don’t attend church. People think I will stray from God if I don’t, but that is a religious spirit behind this kind of thinking because the church is not a building. We are the church and the Kingdom of God is within us. I can give them a hundred reasons as to why I don’t attend their church but that would either hurt their feelings or provoke a religious argument. So I do not explain other than say that the Holy Spirit is leading me in another direction and I have to be obedient to the Lord and not man. I hate to tell people that their church is not about God anymore. Until I find a sound doctrine Bible-teaching church, I will continue as I am.

I fellowship with other believers in many ways. And I praise and worship my Lord all day long. I live a life of prayer and in communion with God. Yes, I make mistakes, have my doubts at time, but I never stray too far. All I have to do is open my Bible and go into prayer.

You ask about the Trinity. Coming from a Catholic upbringing, I am familiar with this doctrine and see how many still use this as a foundation for their Christian beliefs. However, in studying the Bible and pagan beliefs, I’ve found that this doctrine of the Trinity originated with pagan beliefs and was adopted by the Catholic Church. I don’t like to debate this with anyone but if I’m asked, I do tell them flat out that there is only ONE God, Who came in the flesh. To understand the symbolism of numbers in the Bible, one has to delve deeply into Scripture utilizing Hebrew and Greek study tools.

We are all in a journey. Some people’s faith and relationship with Christ will never match other people’s faith and closeness, but God loves us all the same and He teaches everyone differently. I make it a point to never judge others or criticize them because I too have come out from the bondage of deception. We can only pray for those who are still blind to the truth, and patiently teach them in a loving way.

God bless you, may God continue to guide you and reveal Himself to you.

Trailborn

6 years ago

Great to see that there are other people out there reading and learning from the word of God and not following the church leaders and doctrines blindly. I have delved into the same topics in search of the truth. God is constantly opening my mind to truth, sometimes to the point of where I feel like it's coming at me so fast I need to just slow down and take a break. It's a wondrous thing to have the veil removed. :)

One thing I have found useful in doing topical studies is using a tool such as biblegateway.com and doing a word search. For instance entering the word "God" and "spirit" to study how the Holy Spirit and God relate. Or just one word like "worship" to see what the whole bible says about worship. Of course this is not all-inclusive because there are different words for the same thing, but it is very helpful and if you have any knowledge about looking something up on an internet search engine, it's used about the same way.

Have you done any deep studies on the trinity doctrine yet? I have and have been amazed about what God has shown me in His word. I have gone on blindly in this belief for years even though I was prompted by the Holy Spirit many times to study it further. I have had this discernment ability for some time that made false teaching clear to me but I ignored that prompting for so long because I refused to think that the church could be wrong about it. Of course God turned my life upside down (in a good way) through it. And that's the kind of thing God does. ;) Through it I have also learned to truly understand that when God tells me to do something I'd better just listen, that sometimes we have to stand alone in what he calls us to do, and that sometimes what God gives us can be a pretty hard pill to swallow. I continue to follow the practice of the Barean's in everything even though I have people that assume that I am straying from the faith because I try to explain to them the word doesn't teach what the traditional church teaches. I keep testing myself as well, I don't want to stray either, but as I spend so much time in the bible and am in communication with God all throughout the day, I honestly can't see how it is possible for me to stray from Him. My faith and love for Him has never been stronger. I had asked Him to help me love him more a few months back, not that I didn't love him but I just didn't have the connection that I desired. I felt that the love was a different, maybe a more distant love, than what one would have with someone they could see face to face. I never expected to see what he opened my eyes to or to feel the amazing kind of love I do now, but that is what He does. He is truly an amazing God!

I was drawn to the topic of your post because I hurt for the people that are drawn in to these false teachings and doctrines. My family has been drawn into many of the teachings you have written about. The sad thing is that it is nothing new, this deception has been going on for centuries. Keep up the good work that you are doing for His kingdom. :)

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Fred up,

Thank you for your comment and standing by the teaching in this hub. Even though I tried to explain as simply as I could the two covenants and what Jesus accomplished on the cross and included scripture reference, there are many that do not want to give up their stand on tithing. They feel they should continue to tithe or God will not bless them. As you said in your comment, Christians should be giving free will offerings instead of a tenth. This free will offerings could also mean giving more than a tenth of what they are giving now and I don't think that would settle well with many either. Then that leads me to think that many Christians just don't want to understand what the Bible says about this; it's just not convenient for many.

But as you said in your comment, something I always find myself saying, "There is none so blind than those who refuse to see God's truth.” I pray the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of those who are blind to the truth and give them understanding and guidance. I was one that believed in tithing at one time until the Holy Spirit gave me understanding of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Fred up

6 years ago

Your article was one of the best I've ever read! Very well said and I could not agree more!

Galatians 3:13-14 said "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law so anyone in fear of the Malachi 3:8-9 curse is basically unlearned and needs to read their own bible then allow the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to them.

I believe in these last days the tares will be defined by their unwillingness to accept the truth because Jesus said " His Sheep know His voice and the voice of a stranger they will not follow". Even if they start off following a stranger as a baby in the Lord they will not continue. All those following false teachers must not be the Lord's sheep because Jesus cannot lie.

Anyone refusing to see must not want to see. There is none so blind than those who refuse to see God's truth.

Funny thing is so many church goers don't understand the differences in the Old vs New Covenant. Church goers need to study the differences in Judaism & Christianity. It might surprise Christians to discover devout Jews do not tithe to date but give free will offerings because the tithe was to be specifically instructed by God in a certain way. Tithes were mandated by God to be collected only by the Tribe of Levi only and for the poor and the Levite Priest and it was never their gold or silver but it was food. Only Land owners gave tithes from the land God gave them. That sacred Canaan Land is still promised to them. God never told one Gentile to keep the Levitical Tithe law, thus Christians were grafted into Grace not grafted in under the Levitical law. Tithe legalist are throwing Christians under a law God never commanded of them. Now the central them is the tithe and not the cross.

The tithe police have basically have stolen the credit from Jesus for the payment he made on the cross and replaced it with their tithe. Ever heard tithe boasters? Jesus never get the credit, it all goes to them and their works.

Wish they would read Galatians 4:30 with understanding. It said

'Cast out the bond woman, for her son shall not inherit the promise with the free woman's son." Paul said in Galatians 4:24 this verse is an allegory of the two covenants, Old vs New Covenant.

Christians are to now be guided by the Holy Spirit within not the external Mosaic law which God never gave us. Most Christians couldn't name those 613 Levitical laws if you paid them.

Ironically one of the Levitical laws was to not eat with Gentiles or enter their homes. Jesus nailed those laws to the cross Col.2:14 but tithe legalist keep taking them down off the cross to control people's wallets. Sad they don't trust the Holy Spirit to lead and guide his people on how much to give.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

ThussaysNanaMarie,

Thank you for stopping by. Yes, you are correct that the problem of not reading the Bible began a long time ago. The Catholic church was the first in the list. But as you say, now, there is no excuse for people not wanting to read their Bible.

People have to have a willingness to dillingently seek God. If they just go to church on Sundays to occupy church chairs and lazily be fed many of the erroneous teachings going on, then they are only to blame for being mislead and lied to.

God will hold accountable those who mislead His flock but He will also judge those who were called but do not follow. In the end, He will say "‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ (Luk 13:27)

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Lisa K,

Thank you for your comment. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to show you the way and reveal truth in your studies.

God bless!

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Algav,

I'm sorry for the delayed response; I've been away for a while.

Thank you for stopping by to read this article and your input. The topic of losing your salvation goes a lot deeper than "once saved always saved" or "you can lose your salvation." I have pondered and studied scripture on this subject extensively and I have come to the conclusion based on the parable Jesus taught in Matthew 22, that it is not all black and white as some people make it out to be.

The invitation the king sent out to the people in Mat 22 on his son's wedding banquet went out to everyone, but in the end only a few were chosen. Those who are chosen will not lose that promise of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Bible also mentions there will be many that will walk away. So, if anyone who is called to follow Christ and chose to continue in their sinful ways and stray, I truly believe they were not saved to begin with. Also, we must remember, it is not for us to judge if they are saved or not.

There will be many that will make mistakes and heed the gentle prodding of the Holy Spirit, feel the conviction, and repent. And there will be those who will not submit to the Holy Spirit. To those, they will not see the Kingdom of Heaven if they don’t repent and turn back. God is merciful and forgiving and wishes no one to perish.

Therefore, in the end, the “chosen,” which are few, are not lost to the Kingdom of Heaven. I hope this will explain better my stance on this subject.

ThussaysNanaMarie

6 years agofrom In my oyster

Great hub and perspective. Several good points made too.

I think the culture of not reading the bible began ages ago with the early bibles when the great majority of the congregations were not literate so they had to be be 'fed' by the clergy.

Nowadays I am surprised many are not reading it for themselves. Hopefully the message will come across.

Lisa K

6 years ago

You very eloquently presented what I have been reading on and studying for a while now. Thank you.

algav

7 years ago

I agree that the Bible exposes many false doctrines today and you have proven them in your article except the doctrine of once saved always saved. You need to study this more. This teaching is the reason why a lot of Christians are careless in their walk. I'm afraid many will find in the day of judgment that they believed this lie instead of studying the whole Bible.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

7 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Mateus,

Thank you for stopping by.

Agreed, we have to have the Holy Spirit's help in understanding, however, we have to start by reading the Bible first. Then the Holy Spirit will reveal truth and give understanding to those who diligently seek Him, "... and those who seek me find me." (Prov 8:17).

When we do not know what the Word says, we walk in darkness because His Word is a guiding light, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Ps 119:105).

When we Read the Word, God will equip us and enable us for His purpose, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

His Word is like a strong foundation to build on. And when we put into practice what we learn, neither wind nor storm can tear it down (Mat 7:24-27).

I caution anyone who is not encouraged to read their Bible by their religious leaders. These are wolves in sheep's clothing that would like nothing more than to keep God's children in darkness, and in submission to their twisted doctrine of demons.

Mateus Cambola

7 years ago

Spiritually speaking spiritual facts are for people who are in spirits.we need to have Love,faith then God's investments that is the holy spirit without the help of the holy spirit we cant understand the bible correctly it beeing a spiritual book we need to be in spirits too or else we shall be deceived by the Pastors who are in flesh by their false doctrine

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

7 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Sister JD,

You are so right when you said...

"animals (livestock) and grain (crops) were used for temple sacrifices...He was the ONLY acceptable sacrifice.We don't sacrifice cash ~ we sacrifice our hearts ~ OBEDIENCE to His Spirit ~ to His voice ~ is our accepatable sacrifice. We bring a sacrifice of PRAISE!!"

AMEN!!!

Please do write about the revelation our Lord has placed in your heart and bring Him all the honor, all the praise, and all the glory He deserves. God was just waiting for the right moment to reveal this to you, and I am so blessed you shared this with me. You are a faithful servant of Christ Jesus, may God continue to bless you and use you for His glory!

Judah's Daughter

7 years agofrom Roseville, CA

There was more, after I left your hub...God showed me (reminded me) that animals (livestock) and grain (crops) were used for temple sacrifices...He was the ONLY acceptable sacrifice. We don't sacrifice cash ~ we sacrifice our hearts ~ OBEDIENCE to His Spirit ~ to His voice ~ is our accepatable sacrifice. We bring a sacrifice of PRAISE!! AMEN!!

I was SO excited about the message in this anointed HUB, from your anointed HEART, sister, that I thought of how many of my hubs I could link this to...then, I had a better idea ~ FEATURE IT ON MY HOME PAGE!! Praise God, for HE gets ALL the GLORY and I love you, fellow bond-servant (bound together in His service of spreading the gospel TRUTH) ~ in Jesus' beloved name. HalleluYah, indeed!!

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

7 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Sister Judah's Daughter,

Amen! Hallelujah! That is an awesome revelation our Lord gave you... all true! There are too many preachers wanting to keep God's sheep under bondage and the curse of the Law when Jesus fulfilled the Law already. Thank you Jesus!

Thank you for sharing. God bless you!

Judah's Daughter

7 years agofrom Roseville, CA

Faithful Daughter, sister in Christ, I am rejoicing at the reading of your heart. Praise God!! You know, as you stated, "Jesus was still under the law when He spoke to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law", the LORD showed me something recently, when it came to 'tithing'...

Jesus kept every dot and tittle of the Law...He knew of Abram and Jacob (Cain and Abel 'tithed' - gave their first-fruits - of livestock and crops), yet Jesus didn't tithe. He wouldn't have, because He was not a keeper of literal livestock (though He is our Shepherd), nor of crops (though He IS the first-fruit) ~ Amen!

The god of money (Satan) is using the same tactic he did in the Garden...twisting the Word of God to bring enslavement, not freedom. Thus, the continued truth in what you stated, "Once Jesus died on the cross, the Law was fulfilled (Gal 4:4-5). Once He fulfilled the Law, the debt was paid for and no longer due by God’s children. He became sin, a curse for us, and He freed us from sin and the “curse of the law.” HalleluYah!!

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

7 years agofrom Sunny Florida

grinnin1,

I am sorry to hear your husband was deceived like many others. However, once one learns to spot these false doctrines, there is nothing these "prosperity" preachers can say or do to convince us otherwise, no matter how crafty some can get. It is an eye-opening disheartening experience to go through and one that is hard to recover from. Nonetheless, we must hold on to our faith and not let the enemy win.

I’ve tried to steer some people back into the path of truth but it is not easy. People seem to want to hang on to these teachings and it can be discouraging at times to go against it because these teachings are very prevalent in today’s churches.

Thank you for your visit and comment.

grinnin1

7 years agofrom st louis,mo

I agree that the "prosperity" movement, that is, being faithful will lead to material prosperity, is leading people astray. My husband was in one of those churches in the early 80's, and when his eyes were opened to the truth of what the church leaders were doing, he was very disillusioned. Enough to not go back for 20 years. Good hub and thoughtful writing!

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

7 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Hello,

“False Teachers of Bible” and “Pauls Teachings are preached as false,” thank you for stopping by and for the warning against false teachers in India and other places in the world.

It is very sad for me to hear that false teachers are very dominant all around the world, especially in poorer countries like India and Africa causing much division and harm to the church with their false doctrine. Maybe you can be a light in the darkness and show others not to rely on man's teachings but to read their Bibles for themselves. Those that have ears to listen will listen.

May God bless you in your ministry of truth!

Pauls Teachings are preached as False

7 years ago

Dear readers, Be careful to all christians who are new that we have false teachers already trained by Satan's agents that Pauls teachings are false and fake since he made them up etc that means to keep us away from truth. these are the old jewish guys who try to keep their law and kill the grace of God. think about it if we remove any pages of pauls teachings or books then what are we left with?? nothing by jewish customs etc.that means Jesus Christ of Nazareth came down for nothing. Satan has crafted this into the christians too. We today are called to be the Church. not gentiles anymore nor can we rob any of the promises of the Jews at the same time. we have to keep away from these wrong teachings. one i have located is in GOA (india) who is spreading likewise. PEACH be with you all and may the Spirit of our Lord be protecting us.

False Teachers of bible

7 years ago

Dear Sis, I cant be overwhelmed at your comment on the false teachings,YES!! its going on i used to be in Dubai UAE,The Kings Revival church has a massive church Christians but all under bondage of Pastor Dil Kumar i am boldly writing this cause let any of those christians read should know. He taught all false healings, tithings, Christmas celebrations, tongues etc. I never knew they were false. until time took me to all the biblical doctrines.Same goes back home in Goa (india) where we have different churches. all practicing different doctrines and traditions of their own. most survive on tithing and thats why divisions of christians and church teachings. there is no unity of them all hence hatred. for example if you go to another church the pastor questions you to bring no objection letter from the other pastor of the church. if you do not belong to any christian church and if your family member expires he will not be buried by the church, which left us with the police and Government. The pastors dominate their area and discuss these methods at pastorial meetings. there are spies kept in the churches to see who is attending the churches and who is against the Pastor. attendance is kept along with them. The Pastors give respect to rich Christians and less to the poor. some churches also practice Sabbath. some teach that paul's ministry is false!! there is so much i guess the Main POISON to the doctrice is tithing!!1 without this they will not survive and this is the easiest way for the pastor and his family to receive income without working. comfortable life teaching falseness and keeping bondage all the foolish christians who do not stand up for Christ or read the word at home to confirm his teachings. Also new Churches are formed and named as per their likings. i do not understand from where Christ said to name the churches then only one can preach the word of GOD the lost?? only if you have a branded your church name like a product then only you should preach the Gospel!! what a shame that Satan almost succeeded. the new Generation of youth is also caught up with this world along with the churches. its terrible here in GOA. please comment what its like out there and what way we can curb things out.

C&Fd

thad

7 years ago

They have a form of Godliness but deny its power! It's this way because God said it would be! End of that study! I heard someone say they read a book about a boy who found an elephant and kept it in his pocket! By the end of the book it made no since to him so he studied the language it was translated from and found the word translated elephant actually meant mouse! Then the book started making since! As believers in Christ we must study not just from cover to cover, but from age to age, asking God for understanding!

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

HJWakelin,

Thank you for stopping by to read and comment. You are correct that we should follow the commandments laid down by God. The English translation of the Bible has come under scrutiny because of just that, the translation of words from Aramaic/Hebrew and Greek to English and other languages. Thankfully, we now have lexicons that will aid us but nothing replaces the teachings of the Holy Spirit, who is our true teacher.

I am not familiar with the "Lost Book of Adam & Eve" as you mentioned. Coming from a past of cult and New Age involvement, my best advice is to stay clear of any teachings that is not in and of the Bible. If we begin read outside the Word of God, and we begin to delve in the beliefs of other cultures, we are treading on dangerous ground. Confusion and deception sets in and we are swayed to lean towards other's interpretations in spiritual matters. We have only One true teacher, and that is the Holy Spirit.

In answer to some of your questions, I can only tell you that my view is God's view. God's view is in His Word. Jerusalem in Hebrew means City of Righteousness, City of Peace. The New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelations is not speaking of national Israel but of God's City of Righteousness, where there will be peace. This is where we will be with Jesus Christ, those whose name is written in the Book of Life.

You seem to have a love for the Word of God. Stay on the right path. “Do not swerve to the right or to the left; keep your foot from evil.” (Prov 4:27), and you will not be led astray. God bless!

Hannam Wakelin

8 years agofrom Auckland

Ok. I have been told Jesus came back via CHRIST Ahn sahn hong to re-establish the sabbath.Abolished by Constantine.

Jerusalem is a woman,a bride of Jesus,who'll come back as a woman with Christ. I've read the new Jerusalem, is spiritual of the new city,come to earth. Footnotes in my NIV study bible state "We should consider ourselves as citizens not of this world but of the Kingdom of God,and we are it's children,so the HOLY CITY is our mother." I've actually read in The Lost book of Adam and Eve 1&2, God saying to them,"How can GOD be a woman?"

Daughter,what's you r view?

Hannam Wakelin

8 years agofrom Auckland

Perhaps one reason is because we in the West,are raised,taught and "conditioned" to think,act,walk,talk and push the western way,and way of thinking. Therefore, we think with a western mindset. The Eastern 'mindset' is vastly different.

We are given a Bible version,translated from the Aramaic,Hebrew,into Greek then Old German to Latin,Middle English to modern English, which greatly gives us a different perspective on what we read, and then what we believe. Many churches do have evangelists in them that are secret affiliates of many secret satanic orders, and many of them are oblivious to the forces and principalities that are controlling them.

Simple,GOD gave a chosen race,all his commands,laws to honor and follow,as the Saviour would come into their land as promised.All was written down by them, in their language,so we should,read and interpret form their book.praying for instruction by the Holy Spirit,using a good lexicon,and someone if we can,who has expertise in Jewry,or Aramaic or Greek.Most are trying to gain understanding through their OWN perceptions.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Peter,

Thank you for visiting. I have also done the same as you and pray that others will see and hear the truth as well. God bless you!

Peter

8 years ago

Thank you for this post. I have come out of churches as you speak of.. My prayer is that many will hear the truth and come out

The Lord be with you this day and always! Shalom Uvracha (Peace and Blessings)

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Sovereignty Soldier,

Thank you for reading and commenting. Yes, I agree with you that this is the case. When we do not read our Bible, we can easily be deceived and led down the wrong path. I also agree with your pre-tribulation statement. God bless!

Sovereignty Soldier

8 years ago

The answer to your question of why they fall for false doctrines is simple. They profess to love God and be believers yet they never read the Bible for themselves. They only open it on Sundays to hear their "pastors'" interpretation. They are far too busy to be bothered reading Gods' Word and they have absolutely NO love of Truth. It is sad but true. Many who proclaim their Christianity do not know what the Bible says a believer is supposed to do or be. They know nothing of prophecy or end times signs. The majority put faith in a pre-trib rapture assuming themselves more worthy than their Master who was tortured and murdered in the most horrible fashion. They believe what is easiest and most pallatable. They are given to soothing doctrines of devils.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Christ4ever,

It is never too late to leave a comment. Thank you! I couldn't agree more with your friend. Who is in charge of the church anyway? It was Christ and it is still Christ. Therefore, please let us ALLOW the Holy Spirit to fill us all and watch the Church shake in His glory! Hallelujah!!

Rev. Teddy C. Ryan III

8 years agofrom a life in sin saved by the Lord's grace - we are blessed with the ministry in Florida & Georgia

I missed this a few weeks back... great work!

Well put when you said:

"Everywhere you look, the Word of God is being continually distorted and false teachings have infiltrated our churches so much that it has divided the body of Christ... We rely on our pastors and spiritual leaders to “feed” us the Word, and trust them blindly to do so but in reality, many have a different agenda and God is not in it, so people are being deceived."

I heard another friend a little while back state:

"What would happen today if we as Pastors, took a step back and truly allowed the Holy Spirit to fill our churches, to direct and move us? ...The results would be simply amazing!"

I likewise agree... Rev.Ted

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Karatekidjmt, thank you for stopping by and for your comment.

In response to your comment I gather you believe in tithing. If that is the case, then you must also believe in circumcision and animal sacrifices to name a few of the 613 laws under the Old Covenant. I once believed in tithing as you did until I read the Bible and understood the concept of tithing and how Jesus fulfilled that requirement.

When you quoted 1 Timothy 5:17-18, I believe you are confusing tithing to compensating the elders, as in paying earned wages and this is where many are confused. Wages back then did not only constitute money but meals, drinks, supplies, and any other sort of provisions. I also mentioned this under the heading “Is tithing unscriptural?” in the sixth and seventh paragraph. Paul mentions the rights of an apostle in I Cor. 9 just as you pointed out in 1 Timothy 5:17-18. I explained this in my paragraphs as to what Paul was referring to. If you read the whole chapter in I Cor. 9 and 1 Timothy 5 you will see that the Bible is not talking about tithing. Please re-read what I wrote and see references to scriptures to back up my article.

When you read 1 Timothy 5 in context, the chapter gives many instructions on how we should treat our elders and widows, tithing is not mentioned in this chapter. It is apparent that you are not quite understanding the concept of tithing from the Old Covenant and how we are not under these laws because of the establishment of the New Covenant. To start, please read Hebrews 7.

You mention that 1 timothy 5:17-18 makes references to tithing found in the Old Testament. I found one reference in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 25:4 and two in the New Testament in Luke 10:7 and in Acts 28:10 but if you read Deuteronomy 25 and Luke 10 you will find that it is not talking about tithing and Acts 28:10 talks about honor. I’m not sure why do you feel that 1 Timothy 5:17-18 is talking about tithing.

You say tithing is scriptural. Tithing was scriptural under the Old Covenant; however, we are now under a New Covenant and no longer under the Law of Moses and tithing was part of the old law. Jesus came to fulfill the Old Covenant; therefore, we are under a New Covenant… a covenant of Grace. We are not obligated to tithe anymore, we are now free to give in love and from the heart because God looks at the heart when you give.

I would think it through to re-read and study the New Testament and hopefully you will come to understand, as I did, what Jesus accomplished on the Cross. You may also want to check out the links I included at the end of my hub. I believe you will find them helpful in your study.

In Christ’s love and peace.

karatekidjmt

8 years ago

i liked it but one problem, tithing is scriptural and i can prove it with one passage... Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.For the Scripture says, "You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain." And in another place, "Those who work deserve their pay!" ! timothy 5:17-18 not only does it say that you should pay them, it eleminates any chance to twist the scripture because it includes references to tithing that were found back in the old testament. think it through again with this passage in mind.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Tinardlifecoach,

You are absolutely right. Many churches nowdays are not making disciples of their sheep and are not teaching them as Jesus did. They want the sheep to bring others IN as you said, and then what? It's a membership thing, that's all to help keep the cost down of maintining the building and salaries. We are the Church, not some stone building with all its costs. However, many people are to blame for this frame of mind. They don't want to break free from this deception because it suits their lifestyle. Thanks for your input. God bless!

Tinardlifecoach

8 years agofrom Ann Arbor

I've attended churches where I felt a "club-Med," conform or be cast-away atmosphere. It felt dark, contrasting the teachings of Jesus. Instead of going OUT into the communities to spread light, they talk about luring the community IN. The chatter is often about trying to get this neighbor or that family member to come to their church, instead of empowering them to go to scripture and talk with God. We don't need church leaders to think for us. Just some thoughts... Thanks for this awesome Hub, I really identified with it.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

SavedbyHIM, thank you, thank you for your testimony! You are the reason I wrote this for. You and every person that have been through what you have. I have been there myself more than once. When I left the last church, it took me a year to get myself right with God only because of all the anger and dissapointment; I had to let go of the bitterness. I never blamed God though, I blamed man! God laid it heavily in my heart to warn others of the deception in many churches today. I hope you will do the same.

To anyone reading this, I say hang on to your faith. Do not blame God for the betrayal and deception of man. Turn your back on man not on God.

God Bless!

SavedbyHIM

8 years ago

When I first became "saved" I was a part of a church that preached Heavily on "Name it, claim it", Confess it, Possess it", tithing, offerings, missionary, building funds, pastor day, or anything else you could call it to obtain money. The church members would lay hands and deliver those believers that were demon possessed! (I know what you are thinking) I was in this "mess" for many years and it messed me up, it messed up my walk with God. People were praying and commanding Angels to do work for them. I was rebuked for telling a Pastor that I felt "under the weather". Those who after accepting Christ were asked to go through a prayer deliverance in which you tell a Pastor all the evil, filthy things you have done in your life. When I left this church I was confused, hurt, and walked away from the Lord. After nearly ten years of Sin, hatred, anger, lust, revenge mentality, GOD as awesome as he is grabbed a hold of me and showed me the truth. The truth is now what I know. I can discern things much quicker. I can pick up on the lines and lies that are spoken. I can see things more clearer then ever. My faith is not in a "sinners prayer". My faith is not in "walking down the aisle to meet the pastoral staff. My faith is in Christ and Christ alone. There is a force that does not want this message to get out. This is the force that kept me in bondage for so long. Look, Listen, Pray and seek God always. Sometimes when we just sit, listen and keep quiet we hear everything we need but sometimes we talk to much and don't listen and miss the big picture. This was a Great post inspired by God. Thank You.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Maryann I am blessed by your comment. Please stay in the Word. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Blessings!

maryann

8 years ago

thanks for your story. it was really inspiring. as a new believer despite having been a church goer all my life it was important to hear about reading the bible for yourself. am now reading the macarthur study bible, when am done wiil look for another guide too. god bless you and keep you strong in the faith.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Exjwlaurie,

“Don't ever worry about what man will think of your writing sister, when you write truth--you please God. He is the only audience that matters”

AMEN!! None other than God do I aim to please. God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35). I have never been afraid to speak the truth. I am for God and if God is for me, who can be against me? (Rom 8:31)

You are such a wonderful testimony of how religion can keep you in the dark. Once you opened your Bible and allowed the Holy Spirit to teach you, Jesus freed you from all of satan’s deception and bondage. You have now become a Berean! You will never be the same again; I know I haven’t. Stay true to the Word and He will reveal to you many things in the Bible that you never understood before. Continue to live in the Word and by the Word of God and giving your testimony empowered by the Holy Spirit; you can liberate many from the enemy’s chains as I intend to do.

Thank you for stopping by and for your encouraging comment. Blessings!

exjwlaurie

8 years ago

Faithful Daughter--this is inspired writing! I voted it up and awesome because it is!

I so related to what you brought forth regarding false teachers, with their agenda-laden message$. Being spoon-fed is always a mistake, if people then fail to search out the truth on their own.

Having been a JW for so long--we were never encouraged to read the Bible! In fact, they discouraged it. They want their members to study primarily their own literature; along with the Bible if one would 'choose'...

The problem was--as a Witness, when I would read only the Bible on my own--it wouldn't mesh with the doctrines I had learned from the Society. So--I would go back to only reading the literature, it was less 'confusing'. But, that is how they "keep" you.

Jw's truly believe the WT Society to be the "mouthpiece" of God, and ONLY through them can you ever hope to understand the Scriptures; or gain salvation.

Your words here rang so true in my heart. Now that I am free of their false teachings; no religion can mislead me again, because I question 'everything' I hear, against the light of the Scriptures for myself--prayerfully!

Don't ever worry about what man will think of your writing sister, when you write truth--you please God. He is the only audience that matters.

He will give you the words that need to be said, if you have willing faithful hands and a willing faithful heart. You listen to His leading so well, as is evident with this hub!

So, I applaud your courage to speak the truth, even if your words are bitter to some pastors. Those who are being "faithful stewards" will not be "pricked" by your message--because, they 'do what they do' to serve God's interests and not their own!

Your section on tithing, and how it is being mis-used by many pastors and ministers today was "Right-On"! The old law covenant was 'cancelled', 'taken away' and 'nailed to the cross'! (Col 2:14-15)

Any pastor who tries to use the "tithing" argument is resurrecting a regulation of the "written code". One that was cancelled by the blood of our only Lord and Savior! They do this to serve their interests--not God's.

Excellent hub. I agree with your every word! God Bless you!

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Lifegate thank you for stopping by and for your suggestion; I think a chronological Bible is a good idea and will seem less confusing to some. God bless!

William Kovacic

8 years agofrom Pleasant Gap, PA

I liked the idea of reading the Bible cover to cover. I've done that several times. I'd also like to suggest reading through a chronological Bible. That will really put things into perspective. Thanks for sharing.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Unchained Grace, I know exactly what you are referring too, I feel very strong about false prophets as well; it is something that I am very passionate about. And you are correct; I will not lose any sleep over people's objections or opinion of me. I am not here to argue or debate what is already written. I am only here to shed light to the problem in today's church and with the help of the Holy Spirit, bring understanding to God’s Word. My greatest fear is the same as yours that Jesus would say to me "I knew you not!" I pray that the Lord will guide you in your book and defeat the enemy that is within those who read it and are in need deliverance. I would love to read it once it is published. In Christ’s love.

Unchained Grace

8 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

Faithful Daughter, the subject of False Prophets is a very personal one for me and so I go after it hard. Many a message has been written in the early hours of the morning and delivered to a crowd who I believe were expecting something else. It was certainly a day for demon-blasting.

I'm finishing a book now called,"When the Light Goes Out" and it pulls no punches. I hope to have it ready for the publisher soon. God has been sitting on my shoulder changing this and that as I go along. This ain't a plug. It's a stern warning to the Demons of Divinity. "Back up off God's people."

You are an asset on HP. You will make some enemies. Somehow, if you're anything like me, you won't lose any sleep over it. Know what would really scare me? If Jesus looked at me and said, "I know you not."

I already put this on my FB Page and blasted it out to my email list. Voted UP and AWESOME.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Unchained Grace thank you for your insightful and encouraging comment. Oftentimes it takes a lot of courage and inspiration that only the Holy Spirit can give you to stand up and speak against those who have trampled over God's Holy Word all for the sake of financial gain. We live in a world where many only want to hear things that will tickle their ears and stroke their egos, and will follow blindly those who will deliver. People are looking for quick fixes and instant miracles in their lives, and this is where Satan comes in and gives them exactly what they are looking for. He places prosperity preachers directly in their line of view and feeds them exactly what they want to hear, for a price that is-- your money and salvation. So you are correct in stating that Satan is not afraid to come inside God's house and do his job. Thank you for stopping by. I pray God’s protection and blessings over your deliverance ministry!

Unchained Grace

8 years agofrom Baltimore, MD

First and foremost, you have now become the Official MythBuster here on HP as you have successfully busted down some longheld beliefs perpetrated by those who should be spending more time at the altar seeking deliverance than behind the pulpit raping and pillaging God's People.

I am the founder of one of the most hardcore deliverance ministries in this country and operate directly under the covering of the Apostle of Deliverance, Bishop Kenneth A. Savage. I say that to say this:

1) Study and show yourself approved. Your best defense/offense is both the Holy Ghost and a very intimate knowledge of God's Word.

2) People buy into false prophets partially because they are fed what they want to believe. The pulpit pimps want two things; big numbers in the donation plates and in the pews. The proper use of guilt and control cuts both ways. One begets the other and both, used in tandem, can be used to direct those little trusting sheep right over the financial cliff. Result? You tell me. I've already seen it. Catch Jeremiah 23.

"Follow me as I follow God." One of the first things Bishop Savage ever said to me. Follow people alone and you set yourself up for a fall. It's idolatry. You are responsible ultimately for your own salvation. Protect yourself spiritually. Anyone who thinks satan is afraid to come inside God's House is operating under a dangerous dillusion. It's his hunting ground. Don't be upset with the devil. He's doing his job.

So, do yours.

Praise, prayer, faith and obedience to God's Will. Understand what really makes a real Godly leader. He/she will lead by example. They will lead from the front and not the rear. Their lives will be intentionally transparent.

False prophets are out and about. Prosperity preachers are all over the Internet and show up on TV hunting your checkbook with promises of great financial blessings and miracles so long as you "Plant a $1,000 Seed of Faith."

Who do you really seek when you walk into a church? God or someone's attitude? Some walk in seeking God and leave with someone else's attitude. So, the question needs to be asked.

In any event, Faithful Daughter, it all comes down to discernment, anointing, the Holy Ghost and most important, stay in your Word. It is your sword. Learn how to use it or someone will abuse it and cut you to ribbons. GREAT HUB!

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Sky321... Yes, the widow giving all she had is a very good example of giving from the heart. I remember one time I had only $4.00 dollars on me and was totally broke when I saw a homeless woman towing all her belongings in a shopping cart with her dog behind her. My heart broke for this woman and her dog. I stopped and gave her my measly four dollars wishing I had more to give her and told her to get herself some lunch. If you could have seen the look on her face, as if I had given her four hundred dollars. This is where I strongly believe our offerings should go... to the poor, the widow, and the orphans. Thank you for reading this and your comment. The Lord bless you!

Sky321

8 years agofrom Canada

I like this hub you raise many good points. I think of the widow who gave all she had. In the new testament 10 percent wasn't mentioned. I don't think it is a bad idea I just think people shouldn't claim it as doctrine. Great picture too.

AUTHOR

Evie Lopez

8 years agofrom Sunny Florida

Disappearinghead, thank you for your comment. You could only state the truth when you talk to your family members, if they do not want to listen, let them be. You can only warn others but you cannot make them listen; they have to find out on their own or continue in spiritual blindness. As to finding the "truth" in today's churches, you may not find it, not in this humanistic and narcissistic world we live in. The only way we will find the truth is in the scriptures. May the Lord guide you in your journey.

Disappearinghead

8 years agofrom Wales, UK

A good hub that states your position well.

I have familly members who are entranced by prosperity teachers and the Word of Faith movement. It's really quite disturbing because they will not accept any scripture that contradicts their beliefs or these peddlers of the gospel. They often quote the verse that people perish through lack of knowledge but cannot see the irony.

For the last year I've going on a journey to seek the truth and to see which church doctrines stand up tp scriptural scrutiny.

My aim here I think is the same as yours, to encourage people to study the scriptures and think for themselves. There are many in the church who never read a bible and many others who will only read those portions that appear to support their doctrines if interpreted as they are told they should be.

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